LONG-TERM DEAL FOR BERTRAND

Ryan Bertrand has committed his future to Chelsea today (Wednesday) as he signed a five-year contract.

The 23-year-old England international will now continue preparations with the national squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, before returning to Chelsea where he has already started two of our three league games this season.

Bertrand originally joined the Chelsea Academy in July 2005 from Gillingham and impressed sufficiently to be part of the first team’s pre-season tour to America a year later. Having played for our youth and reserve teams, a period of loan moves followed when he gained vital first team experience. Bournemouth, Oldham, Norwich, Reading and Nottingham Forest were ports of call and he amassed over 150 appearances at Championship level prior to making his Chelsea debut as a substitute versus Birmingham in April 2011.

As understudy to Ashley Cole last season, he played 15 games although it was directly in front of Cole on the pitch in Munich that the last and most significant of those appearances was made. Making his European debut, Bertrand took on a wide-midfield role in the Champions League Final, reverting to a position he had played in his youth.

Having been selected for England through the youth age groups, and for the GB side at the London 2012 Olympics, Bertrand made his senior England debut in a friendly against Italy last month.

He has made 15 starts for Chelsea with a further four substitute appearances.